Anticipation grows for big-name artist at festival Q-Jam

Published: Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 18, 2013 at 3:08 p.m.

One of the highlights of the annual Barbecue Festival media luncheon each year concerns the announcement of who will appear at the Q-Jam, which many of us still think of as the Guitar Pull. WTQR brings well-known country music artists to appear on the Grandstand.

I must confess that when the WTQR disc jockeys reveal the artists, I'm usually left with a puzzled look on my face. I don't listen to country music, so unless the artist crosses over to other formats or is a long-established big name, I'm typically not familiar with them.

Sometimes I realize after the fact that a rising star walked the streets of Lexington. I vaguely think I saw Taylor Swift during the Guitar Pull at the 2006 festival as I walked down Main Street, but I'm not positive. Artists don't get much bigger than Swift these days.

I also watched Trisha Yearwood perform a year later. My main interest there was the song "How Do I Live," which both Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes recorded. I also knew she was married to Garth Brooks. Going way back, I saw the Gatlin Brothers in 1990 when the festival still held a Saturday night concert in the civic center.

As I look over the list of all the entertainers who have appeared, I realize those with whom I'm most familiar are older artists: Travis Tritt, Louise Mandrell, Roy Clark, Minnie Pearl, Marie Osmond, Waylon Jennings, Lorrie Morgan, Ricky Skaggs and Billy Ray Cyrus. Some other names I recognize, too. But starting in about the mid-2000s, I no longer knew many of the Guitar Pull artists.

Until this year, that is.

Certain anniversaries receive more attention than others, and 30 falls into that category. So for the 30th anniversary of the festival, WTQR decided to bring in a big name, DJs Daniel Baker and Tige Rodgers teased at the media luncheon. The skeptical side of me thought, "I bet I still won't know who it is."

They first announced Joe Nichols and Brett Eldredge would appear. Neither name rung a bell. But then they shared the final performer at the Q-Jam: Darius Rucker.

I'm sure my eyes grew wider and jaw dropped open a bit. This was an artist with whom I was familiar, albeit from his days as lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish. I knew Rucker had embarked on a country music career, and I saw one of his music videos while flipping channels on the television one night. I liked the sound.

In the past few days, I've pulled up some of Rucker's songs on Spotify to familiarize myself with his country offerings. I have another week to become better versed with his catalogue of songs. I've always liked his voice, and while I'd prefer music more in the style of Hootie and the Blowfish, I definitely can appreciate his country stylings.

The next big challenge concerns the best way to see him during the Q-Jam. I've heard others also express excitement about his appearance. Even my 14-year-old son, whose musical taste leans toward alternative, rap and modern rock, wants to see Rucker. So I anticipate a mob of people come 3:15 p.m.

My festival day begins early, as we post a first update to our website shortly after the opening ceremony. One thought was to go ahead and stake out a spot toward the front of the Grandstand and remain there. But then I wouldn't see much of the rest of the festival.

I also haven't decided whether to remain downtown the entire day or leave and come back. We always eat a barbecue sandwich at the festival, so I want to be downtown come lunchtime. One advantage to working downtown is the ability to pop into The Dispatch for a break when needed.

What I'll probably end up doing is walking throughout the festival and then take my chances for the Q-Jam. Hearing the music shouldn't be a problem, but I may need to find some binoculars to see the stage well. The area around the Square promises to be packed.

The 30th Anniversary Barbecue Festival promises plenty of sights, sounds and tastes for everyone. The Dispatch's annual special section devoted to the festival will appear Thursday, so look for that to learn about all that's taking place, including several new activities.

Maybe I'll see you downtown a week from today. You can find me somewhere around the Square come 3:15, watching Rucker and the others during the Q-Jam. Hopefully by then I'll know his songs well enough to sing along.

Chad Killebrew is executive editor of The Dispatch. He can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 215, or at chad.killebrew@the-dispatch.com.

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